English · Word Candidate

horrible

/ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: horribles · horribler · horriblest

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A thing that causes horror; a terrifying thing, particularly a prospective bad consequence asserted as likely to result from an act.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Điều gì đó gây ra sự sợ hãi; một điều khủng khiếp

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Here's a carcase. I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing. Such a waggish leering as lurks in all your horribles!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A person wearing a comic or grotesque costume in a parade of horribles.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

người穿 trang phục hài hước hoặc kỳ dị trong cuộc diễu hành

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Causing horror; terrible; shocking.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Gây ra sự sợ hãi; khủng khiếp; sốc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Such a scandal as the prosecution of a brother for forgery—with a verdict of guilty—is a most truly horrible, deplorable, fatal thing. It takes the respectability out of a family perhaps at a critical moment, when the family is just assuming the robes of respectability: […] it is a black spot which

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Tremendously bad.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Rất tồi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Having now absorbed all or parts of 750 responses to my complaints about Transformers, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that most of those writing agree with me that it is a horrible movie.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “horrible” mean?

A thing that causes horror; a terrifying thing, particularly a prospective bad consequence asserted as likely to result from an act.

Is “horrible” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.